June 7 – Daily Notes – Amanda

Have you ever tried to stop a moving train with only your toughness and strength? I hate to break it to you, but it won’t work. In different words, Gamaliel explains this to the Pharisees in today’s Acts reading. If the movement of the early church apostles is of God, they’re not going to have a whole lot of luck trying to stop it.

1 Kings 2:1-3:3:

1-4 – David encourages Solomon to follow the Lord and that this will result in having someone in his line remain on the throne.

5-9 – David asks Solomon to avenge the wrongs done to him that he did not avenge himself.

13-25 – Adonijah’s request to receive part of the king’s harem, Abishag, is a clear play at taking over the throne. Solomon recognizes this move and squelches it quickly.

26-27 – Abiathar’s life is spared because he served David faithfully, but, because he sided with Adonijah, and because God had promised to remove Eli’s family from the priesthood, he is removed from the priesthood.

28-35 – The only exception to the asylum offered through grabbing the horns altar was if your sin was done with deliberate intent. Solomon felt justified because Joab’s murders were committed with intent.

Acts 5:1-42:

1-6 – Ananias did not die because he only gave part, but because he presented it as the whole while holding some back. He lied about his gift to God.

17-18 – They are arrested because the religious leaders told them not to teach in Jesus’ name.

33-42 – Gamaliel gives wise counsel that the religious authorities ought to just leave the disciples alone because the effort will die unless it’s from God and if it’s from God they won’t be able to stop it.

Psalm 125:1-5:

This is another psalm that was probably sung or recited while the Israelites traveled to Jerusalem for one of the three annual festivals that required a pilgrimage.